Thrust bearing



March 15, 1932. F A. VAN BEZEL 1,849,892

THRUST BEARING Fild July 11, 1930 ATTOR NEY Patented Mar. 15, 1932 YUNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE FRANK A. VAN BEZEL, OF EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO DUAL AIRCRAFT f MOTORS INC., LTD., OF CENTRO, CALIFORNIA j Y THRUST BEARING LApplication filed. July 11, 1930.` Serial No..467,370.

This invention relates to bearings and has especial relation to thrust bearings, an object ofthe invention being to provide a bearing for the drive shaft of an airplane engine,

which will take the thrust of the propeller and prevent such thrust fromv reaching the main bearings of the shaft.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bearing of the above character 10 which is simple in construction; efficient in use; may be quickly and easily attached to the engine base, and may be accurately adjusted with respect to the base and the main bearings, so that when in place, none of the l5 thrust of the propeller will reach said main bearings.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the Jfollowing novel features and details of construction, to zio be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the bear- 25 ing.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, a portion of the walls of the engine base and the drive shaft being shown by dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the bearing is adapted for use in connection with the base of an engine which forms the subject matter of an application filed on or about July 11, 1930, Serial No. 467,369. A portion of one of the end walls of this base is shown by dotted lines and is indicated at 10, the said wall being provided with an opening 11 for the passage of the drive shaft 12. This shaft is threaded throughout a portion of its length and is tapered to receive the hub of the propeller.

The bearing comprises a housing 13 which is provided with an annular attaching flange 14. This flange is adapted to abut the end wall and is provided with openings 15 for the passage of bolts.

The housing is provided with a main bore 16 and a counterbore 17 at the inner end of '50 the main bore, while extending inwardly at the outer end of the housing is a flange 18. The main bore is provided at one endwith a shoulder l 19 and positioned within this bore and bearing against this shoulder is one memvber 20 of an anti-friction bearing. A ring or annulus 21 is positioned within the counterbore 17 and bears against the'inner end of the member 20.

Threadedly mounted upon the shaft -12 is j* a sleeve 22. Thissleeve is provided with a flange' 23 which is spaced. from the ring-21 and is engaged by a member 24k of the antifriction bearing. l Anti-friction devices l25 are located between the members 20 and'24. The sleeve is threadedly adjustable uponthe shaft and is held in adjusted positionby meansof a set screw 26. v e

Also threadedly adjustable upon the shaft 12 is a retaining nut 27'. This nut is provided with a notched flange 28 for engagement vby a suitable spanner or tool for the purpose of rotating the nut. VThe flange 18 of 4the housing 13 is recessed as shown'at 29 for the reception of a packing 30 and this packing is held in place by means of a ring 31 which is removably secured to the flange by means of screws or like fastening devices 32. Y

Located between the sleeve 22 and the nut 27 is a floatingwasher 33.' This Vwasher sur- Y rounds the shaft and engages the V'anti-friction bearing and adjustment of the latter may be effected through the medium of the nut 27. In positioning the bearing, the sleeve 22 is threaded upon the shaft V12 and the remaining parts of the bearings are slipped into position over this sleeve so that'the inner end of the sleeve may be properly aligned with the outer face of the engine base and the innerl face of the bearing housing. After proper adjustment has been effected, the screw 26 is set to hold the sleeve in position. For this purpose, the bearing of course must be removed. After the screw has been set the bearing is replaced and bolted Vto the engine baseby means of bolts passing'throu'gh the openings 15 and correspondingopenings, in the base.` As the member -20 of the anti-friction bearing is stationary within the housing and' the member 24 is rotatable with the sleeve 22, and as these members are held against any movement longitudinally of the shaft, none of the thrust of the propeller can reach the main bearings of the shaft and cause binding. By adjustment of the nut 27, the anti-friction bearing can be locked in place while the packing may be readily renewedbyl removing this nut and reinoving the ring 3l.

By reference to the drawings, it will be seen that the bearing acts kto take upthrust in opposite directions, thrust'in. a direction toward the engine crank case or base being taken up by the washer 33, the bearing Eiland theannulus 21. Outward thrust will be talren up by the flange 23, the bearing 2O andthe shoulder 19. @The bearing may/therefore be used either witha propeller of the traction type,.or' the pusher type. v y

o The invention is susceptible of various changes in its forni, proportions and minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to inalresuch changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the. invention what is claimed is n ,17. In a thrust bea-ringfor lan enginedrive shaft, a housing adapted to be secured to the engine base, a stationary ball race located within the housing, a retaining ring4 for said race, ka flanged vsleeve for threaded engagement Ywith the shaft lat the inner end of the housing, a retaining nut to threadedly engage the shaft at the other end of the housing, a

`floating washer positioned between the sieeve and retaining nut, and a rotatable ball race clamped between the flange of the sleeve yand the floating washer, and anti-friction flange of the sleeve and en aging said sleeve.

4. In a thrust bearing or'the drive shaft of an airplane engine, a housing adapted to be secured to the engine base, said housing including an inner attaching flange and having a main borel and a flange extending in- Wardly from the vouter end of the housing, an interiorly threaded vflanged sleeve adapte'd 'to be threadedly engaged with the shaft and adjfustedrwith respect. tothe. attaching be threaded upon the shaft, a floating washer between the sleeve and nut, and an anti-friction bearing between the sleeve and the inner,y wall 'of' the housing and the washer and the flange of sa-id sleeve. Y

3. In a thrustbearing for the drive shaft of an airplane engine, a'housing adapted to be secured to the; engine base, said housing including an inner' attaching flange and having armainbore and a; flange' extending inwardly from the outer end of the housing, an interiorly threaded flanged sleeve `adapted to be threadedly engaged With. the shaft and-adn justed with respect to the attachingflange, a retaining nut adapted to be threadedliy engaged with thee'shaft and to extend within the f flange at the outer end of the housing, a floating washer between the sleeve andv nut, and an antifriction bearing within the In-aifn bore Aofy theA housing' between'the washer and the 

